


Hidden Name

by Alecto228



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, M/M, Multi, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:47:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24514093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alecto228/pseuds/Alecto228
Summary: Two soulmates and the plague doctor they owe a debt to.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [moor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moor/gifts).



"Stay with me! We have to open that bookshop, and dress shop, and- and our third!" Desperation- Shisui knew his voice reeked of it, but what had started simple had turned into something much more complicated in the past twenty four hours. "Please just stay- Our third! We haven't even met! Th-Think of the possibilities!" His knuckles white on the reins as he lifted his arms, jostling Itachi's swaying form as he cracked them on the poor beast below them. Hooves echoing on the cobblestones as they traveled through the deserted city and into the outskirts.

Itachi gave a wet cough, and then a gurgle, and Shisui wanted to weep. His only relief and hope resided in a building with a hooked mask painted starkly onto the black building outside. The horse almost skid on the slick stones with the violence Shisui put into pulling on the reins for the animal to stop, but he wasn't willing to slow down any sooner than needs must. He raised his voice into a bellow, uncaring for the occupant's wrath, "HELP! HELP US!" Mind racing, he carefully leaned Itachi forward with shaking hands onto the horse as he dismounted. He could move so much faster, but he couldn't risk Itachi- not in this state.

He registered a slam and only turned his eyes to meet a small black figure with a white mask who came storming over, their own voice bellowing back, "-OFF THE HORSE! GET HIM INSIDE YOU FOOL!" Gloved hands gesticulating in the air to usher the pair inside.

He wasted no time to gather a listing Itachi in his arms, rushing past the doctor and into the warmth of the building- placing him on a bare wooden table. The doctor appeared not moments later, already with a knife cutting away clothing, ordering, "Tell me what has happened- Now."

"He was fighting, but it was only a glancing blow. I wasn't watching carefully enough. It was only a day ago-"

"Just this one area?"

"Yes!"

"Then why do I smell rot?" Inquisitive, head cocked to the side like a bird.

Shisui's heart jumped into his throat. He didn't know why the doctor would smell rot. There should be no reason for rot. Mind racing he felt utterly helpless as the doctor ripped Itachi's clothing away and brusquely pushed his hair from his face. Itachi's breathing grew more labored, a pained moan leaving his prone form when the doctor doused the wound with a fluorescent pink potion the doctor swiped from a nearby shelf. The wound began to weep bright red blood, but there was dark green spreading outward from it that was only barely visible before. The doctor shook their head, muttering darkly, "Nothing to be done for it."

He didn't know what he was going to do if Itachi succumbed to that wound. A scrape across the ribs, hardly mortal, but something about it was off. Wicked. It shouldn't have driven him to his knees like it did within hours of being wounded and now at Death's door. Shisui felt himself drifting into despair, a cold sweat breaking over his brow, his own breath starting to grow labored. They had so much more left to ahead of them.

"Snap out of it! I need you here! Hold him down for me."

Shisui snapped to attention, curls plastered to his forehead as he hastily wiped his palms against his breeches. Firm hands resting on Itachi's shoulders, pinning him to the table.

"Keep him still. This will be unpleasant."

Shisui tried to meet the doctor's eyes, but the mask's eyes were black. He would find no reassurance there. He felt time seemed to slow as the doctor climbed on the table, straddling Itachi's hips legs firmly locking on either side of the table. The doctor's glove clad hands erupted into unholy green light, flames dancing where they touched Itachi's skin, but not spreading.

Itachi's scream ripped through the air as he tried to lift himself up, red eyes over bright and wild, tomoe spinning as he sought freedom.

"YOU'RE HURTING HIM! What the FUCK are you doing to him?" He almost released his grip to tackle the insane doctor performing this devilry if it wasn't for the command rooting him to the spot.

"HOLD HIM. DO NOTHING ELSE." There were echoes in the doctor's voice and he couldn't shake how his bones felt rattled.

The doctor leaned forward, one hand sliding up as the other kept pressed to the wound at Itachi's ribs fingers tracing designs over his chest. The flames crawling up the doctor's arms, but there was no heat- only the glow the illuminated everything but the doctor. The doctor shook their head back and forth, as if answering a question they had been asked. The hand returned and wandered Itachi's abdomen, tracing the same patterns, searching and confirming something before cupping both hands around the wound and allowing the light sink into his body.

By now, Itachi's scream had morphed into a howl and dissipated into a soft whimpers. His eyes closed and brows furrowed. Sweat pouring from his temples in fat beads. Shisui kept him so firmly pressed to the wooden table that there would surely be bruising come morn, if he made it until then. Shisui had never seen anything like this in his long time with Itachi. No healing ever included flames such as these or a doctor like this. 

The doctor hissed and went rigid, sitting on their haunches, pulling one hand away and the other pressed flat, the glow of their flames pulsing before flaring violently outwards. They pulled three digits back and left their index finger out as the finger dragged over the wound- Itachi's flesh sealing before Shisui's eyes. The flames extinguished and all that was left was the doctor, looking somewhat exhausted by the slump in their shoulders, their masked face turned away- voice solemn in the quiet of Itachi's slowed breathing.

"You and this individual each owe me a boon. We'll speak of it in the morning."


	2. Chapter 2

They swept into the room quietly, robes whispering behind, white mask fixed into place. Shisui took the doctor's appearance into account now that he wasn't blinded by panic. Short, but covered in head to toe in black, with not a sliver of skin to be seen. There was no telling what was the doctor's true frame beneath their robes. He noted that even the doctor's hair was hidden underneath the sensible chaperon they wore this morning, fabric draping down to cover their ears and over their shoulders. Even their shoes were simple, low heeled, and lacked the any adornment that he had seen on other physicians or those of the educated class that he and Itachi had seen in their travels. The bone white mask held his attention though in cataloguing the appearance, it was unlike the hooked one painted on the door. This one was simply one that had two holes for eyes, two for nostrils, and was curved crudely outwards with no enclosure for the chin. He noticed that the doctor had additional fabric around their face coming from underneath the chaperon, but again, it was all black- Just like the rest of the doctor.

"Do you intend to stare at me all day?" Cool words cut through his evaluation, pits of darkness looking at him as gloved hands pulled the covers back from Itachi's sleeping figure.

"No, but I've never seen anything like you before."

"Am I meant to be flattered?"

"Well- No. Why would you choose to dress that way?"

"I'm going to ignore your question. It's rude." The mask turned away, dismissing Shisui and assessing the figure before them before reaching into a pocket and pulling out a bottle. Uncorking and waving it below Itachi's nose with some distance. Voice low, coaxing with each wave of the bottle, "Come now. You and I have things to discuss."

The doctor withdrew the bottle as soon as Itachi began to open his eyes, corking and stashing it in their pocket again. Choosing only to take half a step back as Itachi allowed his eyes to open fully, adjusting to the weak morning light in the room. Hands pushing up on the bed, but only succeeding in being able to prop himself up on his elbows. Dark hair lank, streaming down his shoulders and back freely. His own voice hoarse from last night's screaming, "How?"

Shisui perked up the moment he saw his mate showing signs of life. The doctor existed as a void in the room, but Itachi was what was right with the world. So he had no problem providing answers from where Itachi began to fad off yesterday. "When you began to fall sick the day before yesterday, after the fight, I pushed on with one horse. I abandoned our pack... I hit town after town and there were no doctors- apparently these areas are plague stricken and their doctors have been taken with the plague or they have fled. I- You were getting worse. I did not trust you to faith healers. I finally came upon a town where they told me there was a doctor in this city, but at the outskirts."

"I will not beg forgiveness, but I will interrupt here. I am that doctor and I am known simply as The Doctor. Your partner came to my residence last night and asked for healing on your behalf. I provided said healing. If you would care to inspect your left rib, you will see there is no wound any longer. I informed your partner after services were rendered that each of you owed a boon in exchange." 

There was no smile in the Doctor's voice, and little warmth, but simple facts. Shisui, looked flabbergasted at the speech and erupted with, "You're not even going to ASK him how he's doing? How he's feeling? Don't you even want to know his NAME?" 

Shisui stood, chair falling back, greasy curls from the days prior strain sticking at odd angles as he stalked over to the much shorter doctor, threat lining each of his aching muscles.

"A-Ah. If I may interject." Itachi looked at both of them, and while Shisui was upset on his behalf, he didn't feel upset himself. He thought it may be best if he steered the conversation from here.

"Of course you may. It looks like your partner wants to thrash me."

Itachi couldn't help but feel amusement bubble up from within at seeing someone a full foot shorter than Shisui so stoic at a potential beating. "What do you want from each of us Doctor?"

"I want a conversation and potentially the collection of one boon depending on the outcome of that conversation."

"I do not see that as unreasonable. Should you not take your seat so we can all talk?" Itachi propped himself up in bed, pressing his back against the cool headboard. He shot a look at Shisui that was as good as a silent order to follow his lead and Shisui shot back a grudging, look as he righted his chair and plopped back into it. The Doctor seated themselves on the opposite side of the room, body language attentive as it had been the entire time. 

"I know you both have eyes that covet. I saw them last night." At the widening of Shisui's eyes and narrowing of Itachi's eyes, the doctor waved a gloved hand. "I have no interest in them. Do not start down that path. I bring it up for their ability to aid in memorization. Are either one of you scholars or have scholarly interests?" 

Itachi was the first to speak up. "I do. I am not a scholar, but have interests in reading and am well traveled."

"Have you ever healed before?"

"No."

"It's not a requirement. This is what I will ask of you then- Be my assistant. I will ask nothing unethical of you. I will teach you what I intend for you to produce. I assist in this plague stricken area. I ask not for your lifetime, but for three months to see the worst of this through." The Doctor leaned forward, elbows on their knees, hands open and palms up in supplication. 

"I will give you time to think on it and speak with your traveling partner. His boon will wait- I am only interested in your answer at this time." The doctor stood, straightening their robes briefly. "The first room down the hallway to the left is where you can wash off travel and sickness. I have left a dressing gown which will fit you." The Doctor pinned Itachi with a fathomless stare. "If your partner goes into town there is tailor for clothing. Yours was ruined last night. Time was of the essence and you were nearly out."


End file.
